India’s longest-serving Defence Minister AK Antony wasn’t sure whether negotiations with France to buy 126 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force were on the right track and according to procedure, former Defence Minister and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said in an exclusive interview to India Today.

Parrikar revealed that Antony, in his capacity as defence minister, noted that he should be consulted again after the price negotiations committee had determined which was the cheapest fighter.

“It is for the committee to decide which is cheaper. How can or why did the then defence minister want to interfere? It shows that he (Antony) wasn’t sure of what was happening and whether the process was being followed”, Parrikar said.

While stopping short of alleging any “wrongdoing”, Parrikar did say negotiations were handled poorly by the UPA government.